I became interested in you after I saw you enjoying my cakes. I ended up thinking of you all the time. I kept this to myself because I thought you might not come back here anymore if I said it…

[03:02]
But I can’t hold back my feelings any longer. So let me say it. I like you. I really like you! Please go out with me!

Really? You like me too?

No way! Is this a dream?

Oww! It’s not a dream!

Alright! It’s not a dream!

Ah… I’m sorry. I just couldn’t believe it.

I hope I’ll be a good boyfriend!

Track 2

Happy birthday!

Today I made your favourite fruit tart as a birthday cake.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday, happy birthday.

Happy birthday to you.

Alright. Blow out the candles.

Congratulations.

I’ll cut the cake now. Just wait a moment.

Here you go. Eat up.

[01:05]
How is it?

Calling it the best in the world is a bit too much… But I’m glad you’re so happy.

This is the third time we’ve celebrated your birthday since we started dating.

I’m sorry we haven’t spent much time together recently.

I’m doing a lot more TV and magazine appearances, so they even take up my days off.

Yeah. Thanks.

But it’s thanks to you that I got this far.

I was able to keep going because I wanted to see you happily eating cake.

So I want to keep on making cake for you.

[02:03]
I want you to marry me and become my wife!

You will? Alright!

I love you. Let’s make a really happy family together!

Track 3

Okay, I’m done testing the recipe!

I’m going to taste it right now.

Hmm… It doesn’t seem quite right.

Ah, I’m making Belgian waffles as a new sweet for the shop…

But I’m just not satisfied with the taste.

I feel like the more I make this recipe, the more boring it tastes.

I wonder what I should do…

Huh? How about going to Belgium to try some real waffles?

But I can’t really go to Belgium just for that… I’d have to close up the shop too.

[01:07]
We should go to Belgium for our honeymoon? We’d certainly be getting two things done at once if we did go, but a honeymoon only happens once, so I want to go somewhere you’d like to go.

I appreciate the thought, but you don’t have to be concerned about me.

Huh? You’ve always wanted to go to Belgium?

I see. Well, Belgium is famous for its chocolate too. I guess it’s a tempting place for someone with a sweet tooth like you.

Well, if you insist… We’ll go to Belgium for our honeymoon!

Right! Why don’t we go to Holland too as it’s right next to Belgium?

I heard that the tulips are beautiful around this time!

[02:04]
Alright, so we’ll be going to Holland and Belgium then!

I’m looking forward to it! We’ll eat lots of tasty sweets and have lots of fun!

Track 4

We really are here in Amsterdam! This town is like being in the world of a picture book.

I’m happy that I got to visit such an amazing place with you!

Where do you want to go first? Let’s go somewhere you like!

Huh? Me? Well, to tell the truth, there is one place I want to go…

The Amsterdam National Gallery! Many world-famous works of art are displayed there.

[01:00]
Is that okay? Thank you!

You’re really kind! It’s because you understand everything about me. You’re really too good for me.

Hmm? It’s nothing. I was just thinking that I love you.

Come on, let’s go!

In the Amsterdam National Gallery, there are works by well-known artists from Holland, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Look, this is one of Rembrandt’s representative works, The Night Watch. It’s really big, right?

[2:00]
It’s 363cm high and 437cm wide. He was called a magician of light and shadow. This painting has an effective use of light and shadow too.

Ah, that’s The Milkmaid by Vermeer. The blue colour is really bright, isn’t it? That’s Vermeer’s special characteristic. It uses a natural ultramarine paint and it’s a very luxurious painting. Very few of Vermeer’s works have survived. So this painting is very valuable too.

I don’t know that much. But I like looking at paintings. You get to learn things too.

I’m talking about learning as a patissier.

[03:01]
Sweets aren’t only about taste, their looks are important too, right? So to me, looking at paintings and increasing my sense of beauty is an important type of study.

Thank you. But you’re the one who increases my sense of beauty the most. There’s nothing as beautiful as you in this world, you see.

I’m not joking, I’m being serious!

You’re very beautiful. That’s why I get a lot of ideas for sweets when I’m looking at you.

Now I feel like looking at you instead of the paintings.

I can’t do this here? I’ll take my time later then.

Track 5

Wow! It’s a field of tulips! It’s beautiful to see that so many different colours have bloomed! Keukenhof Park is a famous tourist attraction which has over 7 million flowers. There are often pictures of tulip fields in leaflets about Holland, right? Most of those pictures are taken here, at Keukenhof Park.

The flowers don’t bloom for long, so this park is only open for two months a year. I’m glad we were able to come when it was open.

I’m glad you’re happy. You said you liked flowers before, so I decided that I’d definitely take you here.

Flowers are great aren’t they? Just looking at them is enough to make you cheerful.

[01:06]
Right! Why don’t we make a flower bed at our new home and fill it with flowers? I want to grow my own herbs too. You can use them as ingredients in sweets as well, you see. Ice-cream and jelly made with home-grown mint would taste good.

What kind of flowers would you like to grow?

Roses, hmm? That’s perfect for you. They’re beautiful and loved by everyone. I feel happy when I imagine you taking care of roses. Let’s go to a gardening store as soon as we get back home!

[01:51]
Ah, look! Don’t that old couple seem really in love? They’re holding hands and looking happily at the flowers. That kind of couple is great. Shall we hold hands too?

Let’s be like that too, even when we get old, okay?

Track 6

Holland was fun, right? It was too bad we could only stay for a few days, but let’s have a fun four days in Belgium!

Hmm… It’s no surprise that there are chocolatiers everywhere. Belgians love chocolate and they eat the equivalent of 9 kilos per person in a year. People usually bring flowers or chocolates as gifts when they visit someone’s house too.

About 100 years ago, Belgian chocolate came known internationally and the chocolatiers here created praline.

Ah, praline is a type of chocolate where a paste made from nuts is encased in chocolate. Praline influenced many chocolatiers and people everywhere were captivated by it.

[01:00]
The standards for chocolate are also very strict in Belgium. The percentage of cocoa has to be more than 35% and the only fat allowed is cocoa butter. The chocolate you can eat in Belgium tastes good and is of a high quality.

So how about we go eat some chocolate right away? Seeing as we’re here, let’s go around different chocolatiers and compare them! Let’s start with a luxury chocolatier that’s even famous in Japan!

You can smell the sweet scent of chocolate all throughout the shop and it makes you feel happy, right? There are even several different types of praline. They all look tasty.

[02:02]
And even though it’s a luxury shop it’s much cheaper than buying it in Japan. So how about we buy all the chocolates that interest us?

We went around a lot of shops and we got an amazing amount of chocolate. Let’s start eating right away, shall we?

First I’ll have… this one! It tastes good! It was worth coming to Belgium to eat this tasty chocolate.

Right… Do you know the tastiest way to eat chocolate? I’ll tell you.

[03:02]
It’s eating it from your mouth like this. It’s sweet and tasty… It’s the best chocolate… That’s because you were eating it, you see. I feel as if I want to eat you too…

Track 7

So this is the Grande-Place, which is listed as a World Heritage Site! What Victor Hugo said was true!

Ah, the French author Victor Hugo saw the Grande-Place and said it was the most beautiful plaza in the world. It definitely is a beautiful place. It’s surrounded by all these luxurious buildings…

Hmm? Ah, the building with a tall tower is the city hall. It’s a building with a lot of history. In 1695, during the War of the Grand Alliance, this area was attacked by the French army and most of the buildings here were destroyed.

But because the city hall tower was made of stone, it survived the fires and it’s still here today. Later on, the Grande-Place was gradually created from stone buildings and was restored in just five years.

[01:04]
When it was reconstructed, the guild houses were a new addition to the plaza. Guilds are organisations of people from various different occupations. And a guild house is a place for those people to meet. There are lots of guild houses in the Grande-Place.

The building with a green dome is a guild house for bakers.

Look! The entrance is decorated with the patron saint of bakers, Saint Aubert. There is the guild house of boatmen and over there is the guild house of breweries. There are lots of other guild houses from other professions.

Seeing as we’re here, shall we go inside the oldest guild house?

[02:13]
This guild house is called L’Etoile. This is a statue of the hero Serclaes. When Brussels was ruled by the Duke of Brabant, the Count of Flanders planned to steal the throne and placed his flag on the highest window of this house. When Serclaes saw this, he climbed the walls and replaced the enemy flag with the flag of Brabant. His brave actions raised the morale of the townspeople and they succeeded in chasing the Flanders military out of Brabant. Since then he has been praised as a hero and a statue was even made of him here.

[03:05]
By the way, there is a tradition that you will become happy when you touch this statue of Serclaes. Let’s try and touch it too.

My wife’s happiness is my happiness too. So I want you to bring her lots of good fortune. Please.

Did you know that I’m happy when you’re happy? That’s why I want you to always smile beside me.

Track 8

There’s a nice sweet smell here!

This is an old waffle shop that’s famous in Brussels.

Look! The people in the shop are making waffles. They look tasty, right?

They look different to the Belgian waffles you know?

Ah. These are called Brussel waffles and they have a crunchy texture. You put syrup or sauce on them when you eat. The Belgian waffles commonly known in Japan, which are round and have a heavier texture, are called Liege waffles over here. Brussels waffles and Liege waffles are both Belgian waffles. You can eat both types in this shop, so let’s order some!

It’s so tasty that I can’t put it into words! It’s just what I’d expect from the home of waffles!

But this shop hasn’t changed its recipes for many years, so the ingredients they use are simple, right?

[02:03]
I wonder how the waffles can be so tasty then?

They’re tasty because they’re made with simple ingredients?

I see. You might be right. I put different ingredients in the mixture because I was trying to be original. But that might have got in the way of the texture and flavour.

Thanks! I think your advice helped me realise something.

There are crumbs on your mouth. I’ll wipe them away.

Yeah, they’re sweet. I’m going to try and create a waffle that makes you smile. So I want you to look forward to it.

Track 9

Notre Dame Cathedral. I’m happy we were able to come here on the last day of our trip. We both really wanted to go here. White walls, a white ceiling and stained glass. They’re all beautiful enough to captivate.

But we’re here for… Ah, I see it! Rubens’ most important work, Descent from the Cross.

We’re able to see it. It’s such a powerful work that it seems it could almost come alive.

Ah. Are you crying? Were you moved by the painting?

[01:01]
Ah…you remembered the last episode of that anime. [1] That’s cute. That boy was trying to be an artist like Rubens, but he lost the competition and died with his pet dog in front of this painting. It’s a sad story, isn’t it?

I couldn’t help it! You were crying, so I ended up doing it too. But I’m fine now. I’ve held back my tears.

Ah… Your tears haven’t stopped yet.

[02:04]
I’ll get worried if you don’t stop crying.

I’ll cast a spell to make you stop crying then. Would a kiss on your eyes be enough?

In that case, I’ll kiss you on the lips. That story had a sad ending, but I’ll always be by your side to make sure you won’t ever feel sad or hurt. I’ll always protect you. I love you.

[1] The anime referred to here is The Dog of Flanders, which is based on the book A Dog of Flanders.

Track 10

Dinner was really good! Especially the mussels.

Our honeymoon has come to an end now, huh?

It’s too bad. If only I could keep travelling around the world with you like this.

I know. I won’t abandon the job and shop which are so important to me, so it’s okay. But there’s something I want to eat before we go back to Japan. It’s something I can enjoy eating even when I’m full.

That’s right, dessert. An incredibly sweet one.

[01:03]
That’s right. You’re my dessert.

Your kisses are sweet and taste really good.

So let me taste you even more.

Hey. What do you want to eat, me or my desserts?

You can’t decide?

[02:00]
I’m happy to hear that as a patissier, but tonight I’m going to get you to choose me.

I love you. I’ll make you really happy.

Track 11

I’m home! Sorry I’m late.

Thanks for coming to meet me at the entrance.

Ah, I can smell curry! I’m happy! I was just thinking that I wanted curry!

[00:35]
Married life is great, isn’t it?

It’s because the person you love waits for you at home like this.

I’m really happy.

Eh? Why was I home late?

Well… I was making this again.

[01:04]
That’s right! Belgian waffles.

I brought them home because I thought you could try them too.

I’m confident about them this time. Okay, there you go!

What do you think?

Really? It must be the secret flavour I put into it.

Of course I made it with simple ingredients like the waffles we tried in Belgium.

[01:35]
But I realised I can’t make tasty sweets without this. I put my love for you into it.

I love you. I’ll keep on making sweets full of love for you.

Track 12

Thank you very much for listening to volume 7 of Honeymoon, Shindou Aoi! This is Terashima Takuma. I don’t think anyone will be listening to this before the main story, but please take a honeymoon soon! Come here after going on your honeymoon.

So this is volume 7. Until now, I didn’t know such an amazing CD existed. When I first heard about this CD, I had no idea what a honeymoon CD might be about, but when I read the script, practised and played the part, I really did feel very happy. I really did get a good outlook on the world. This time Shindou Aoi-kun went to Holland and Belgium with you. Lots of travel brochures were left here, so I recorded this CD while looking at the scenery of Holland and Belgium.

[01:00]
I was very happy. The waffles were tasty. All the food was tasty. The flowers were beautiful. This didn’t appear in the CD, but in Holland there are lots of things like windmills. The chocolate tastes good too. I feel like there were a lot of tasty things! Well, I suppose that the listener’s character really likes chocolate, so it can’t be helped. When you think of honeymoons, you normally mean holidays abroad. The CDs up until now were set abroad, right? There weren’t any holidays in Japan?

As this CD series continues, you might even go to places that wouldn’t normally be honeymoon locations. I’d like to visit Minami Flea Market. I think that would be wonderful too. Everyone has different interests.

This time we went to Holland and Belgium. What did everyone think?

Did you see the landscape of Belgium and Holland? I would be glad if you got a sense of it, even it was only a little. I haven’t been to either of those places. Have any of the listeners been to those places?

[02:02]
Hmm… Now that I’m reading this, I feel like I really want to go. Until now, I didn’t have any particular impression of Belgium and Holland, but the chocolate is tasty and the flowers are beautiful. I really thought that I’d enjoy going to the Grande-Place. The travel guides also mention that it’s surrounded by guild houses and has a very historical feel, like being in a different world or a different time.

You can’t really tell from the photos how big the plaza is or how magnificent it is. I’ve seen Notre Dame in different magazines and TV shows, but I really want to go to the plaza as I’ve never seen it.

Eating waffles while walking…perhaps it’s not allowed…but I would like to go for a walk while eating waffles if I could.

[03:03]
I was sad that we didn’t spend long in Holland, I felt like I wanted to see the tulips and windmills which it is known for.

The windmills have a historic feel to them. They’re wooden windmills. We also have windmills for creating electrical power in Japan, but they’re not the same, are they? Aren’t they completely different?

It’s really moving. Belgium and Holland are right next to each other, so even just by looking at this magazine I can tell you could visit them together. In this brochure, there is a four day trip to Belgium and Holland, involving art, windmills and old cities. So you can go for four days, hmm…

I would really like to go if I had a four day holiday.

[04:00]
The waterways are really beautiful too. It seems like time would pass in a relaxed way.

I really want to go. If you listen to this and want to go, then how about considering Holland and Belgium for your honeymoon? I’m sounding like a travel agency employee now. I think it’d be good to go even if you weren’t getting married. If you can’t go because of your busy schedule, please listen to this CD and go with Aoi-kun. I’d be glad if you did.

Time is almost up. I’m going to say goodbye now. It’s a little sad because of the newly married feeling I’ve got though. This was your marriage partner Shindou Aoi, played by Terashima Takuma. Thank you very much.